14 CFR 43.13 

14 CFR 43.13 states that you will maintenance per the manufacturers maintenance manual, ICA, or data approved by the administrator. It also states that you will use the tools and test equipment required to perform the maintenance task correctly."(a) Each person performing maintenance, alteration, or preventive maintenance on an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance shall use the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer's maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator, except as noted in § 43.16. He shall use the tools, equipment, and test apparatus necessary to assure completion of the work in accordance with accepted industry practices. If special equipment or test apparatus is recommended by the manufacturer involved, he must use that equipment or apparatus or its equivalent acceptable to the Administrator.(b) Each person maintaining or altering, or performing preventive maintenance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality, that the condition of the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition (with regard to aerodynamic function, structural strength, resistance to vibration and deterioration, and other qualities affecting airworthiness)" (FAR AMT, 2001). 

This regulation is critical due to it stating you will do maintenance correctly. Unfortunately in aviation there have been technicians who for whatever reason have thought they knew how to perform maintenance better than the manufacturer and it has cost people their lives. This regulation has been critical in stating in black and white this is how you will do aviation maintenance. It has come with consequences and if you do not follow the rules you will deal with the consequences. Still today after all the years of accidents, there are technicians out there who think they have a better way to perform maintenance. This regulation has been instrumental in preventing poor maintenance on a large scale.  

Reference 

FAR AMT 14 CFR 43.13 (2001)

"To ensure a federal focus on aviation safety, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act in 1938. The legislation established the independent Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), with a three-member Air Safety Board that would conduct accident investigations and recommend ways of preventing accidents. The legislation also expanded the government's role in civil aviation by giving CAA power to regulate airline fares and determine the routes individual carriers served. In 1940, President Roosevelt split the CAA into two agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, which went back to the Department of Commerce, and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The offshoot of the original CAA retained responsibility for ATC, airman and aircraft certification, safety enforcement, and airway development. CAB responsibilities included safety rule making, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines" (FAA,2017)



That I would say was one of the most important pieces of legislation in aviation history. It was the beginning of the FAA. Now for those who have dealt with the FAA over the years may have some unkind words, but look at it from the view of the whole picture. With the FAA's introduction and regulations put in place, it has made it a safer industry. It was no longer just do what you want and yes I know that still continues today, yet it is limited with a consequence of incarceration if you are caught. Yes we have all had bad and hopefully good FAA inspectors, but every where you go you will run into it.

Dirty Dozen 

The activity I have chosen for a team to perform is an engine change. The scenario, which is a real life scenario, the aircraft is needed the next day to make a flight and you are installing the engine. There is so many human factors that play into this scenario but I just want to touch on one that I have experienced. Human factors is a situation of life that distracts physically or emotionally from the job at hand and can lead to you making a poor decision. The owner in this scenario who will be called MR. A has come down and said he doesn't care what it takes the aircraft must be ready by tomorrow, the pressure is on now. 

"Communication, written, verbal, and nonverbal other than written" (Johnson, 2016). I know that all human factors can intertwine with each other, yet I think communication is a large umbrella that en-captures most of the human factors issues. Pressure can come from how your boss communicated too the norms are communicated and can be accepted as tribal knowledge. 

Lack of communication plays an obvious vital role in aircraft maintenance. Communication can change due to slang and sometimes even education. For example while installing an engine you are about to hit something vital and possibly cause damage, You say stop, or maybe whoa, and even hold on. They all mean the same essentially yet the hoist operator may not stop. In my scenario I believe I said holdup and the operator didn't  and I now have an accessory gearbox jammed into the engine mount. 

What I learned from this experience is when working on a team insure you brief your teammates with a word that will halt the operation. If your not the one in charge then ask to clarify the proper commands giving during the maintenance operation you are performing. 

References 

Johnson, W. B.(2016). Aviation MX Human Factors. Volume 4, Issue 2.

Smuggling Explosives On-board Airlines 

I chose smuggling explosives on-board airlines because of my experiences in Hawaii with the K-9's. At the Kona airport I had the opportunity to meet the explosives dog that would patrol the airport in the morning. It was a great experience for me, because she always remembered me. I would see her in the morning and I would pet her and she would give me kisses and lay on my lap till she had to go back to work. The other experience I had was in the Oahu airport. While in line before you enter the security checkpoint there is an area you pass where there is a K-9 that patrols back and forth. Its amazing their sense of smell, because one of the times I was waiting in line the dog hit on someones carry on and the handler waited for probably 5-10 minutes then a few officers showed up in SWAT gear and they were escorted off. I don't know  what was in their bags, but the K-9's are doing their part to keeping us safe. I know they have screening for bags and the X-ray machine and spot checks for explosives to provide even more layers of safety to mitigate the threat, yet I have been in many airports without the K-9 presence. If I was to make a suggestion I would say increase the K-9 presence because they are invaluable with their contributions. 

From the ATF Website "ATF Explosives Detection Canines are certified and trained by ATF to find explosives and firearms-related evidence. The K-9's nose is a major asset, making them capable of detecting up to 19,000 explosives combinations. A major advantage in using the K-9 is their mobility. Their duties include working side by side with Federal agents and local police officers to seek out explosives, guns and spent ammunition evidence in violent crime investigations. In addition, they secure major public events, schools, and Federal buildings, worldwide by searching for explosives in the areas"

Engine Oil System Failures 

The engine oil system in the Bell 206 is a very basic and well proven system. In the event of an engine oil system failure, your first indication will be most likely on your gauge. There would be an increase in temperature while a decrease in pressure. The following is an excerpt from the Flight Manual of the 206 in regards to emergency procedures with the engine oil system. If the system is not identified in time an engine failure will occur.  

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LOW, HIGH, OR FLUCTUATING
If engine oil pressure is below minimum or above maximum, land as soon as possible.
If engine oil pressure fluctuates but does not exceed a limit, monitor engine oil pressure and temperature, and land as soon as practical.
HIGH ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE
If engine oil temperature exceeds limits, land as soon as practical.

As you notice this is a land as soon as practical, not as soon as possible. The reasoning behind this is due to there is a chip detection system on the engine. The system lets you know when the engine is producing metal flakes which is a sign of possible failure occurring. 

ENGINE CHIP 

Metal particles in engine oil. Land as soon as possible. 

The mitigation solution I am proposing is training. If a pilot is performing his due diligence in monitoring his gauges an oil system failure could be caught and repaired with minor damage and cost. I also believe it is imperative that system training for pilots occurs. I have encountered several pilots over the years that just see the gauges as if they are in the green most of the time your okay. They do not understand the consequences to the aircraft when limits are exceeded.  

Icing conditions 

With it being that time of year I thought icing conditions would be appropriate for my environmental factor. Icing, in general, is any deposit or coating of ice on an aircraft, caused by the impingement and freezing of liquid. The effects of icing is catastrophic, icing changes the angle of attack of airfoil surfaces through the changes of lift and drag that is placed on the airfoil. It is all dependent on the location of the icing. Hoar frost can cause an abrupt lift followed by an abrupt decrease in lift. Kind of in-nerving if you ask me. Pilots who fly consistently understand the value of de-ice equipment," Many pilots have asked me why traded my Bonanza for a Baron. The extra speed, payload, baggage space and range are all valuable assets of the Baron. A weather radar is also important, as are redundant alternators and vacuum pumps. But at this time of the year I remember the clincher-ice protect" McClellan, J (1994). The mitigation strategy manufacturers have been implementing for years, Engine inlet deice systems utilizing oil or warmed air, electrically heated pitot tubes, heated rotor blades, wings with pneumatic de-ice boots or heated wings. The one place I have noticed over the years that seems to be missed is training on complacency and when do you  activate your de-ice systems. As a rule of thumb,I have noticed most manufacturers in the rotor wing community follow 5 deg. C and visible moisture. I really think the key is training with young pilots as well as old on complacency and noticing when icing is possible. Recently I have noticed young pilots asking myself questions such as at what temperature do I turn on the de-ice valve. I thought to myself where is the training and desire to know your aircraft. 

Ethics in aviation 

Ethics in aviation is critical in the flight of any aircraft. It influences every aspect of aircraft maintenance and operations. Unethical behavior can have catastrophic effects in aviation. Take for example the crash of N612AZ a S-61 helicopter on the Iron 44 fire in northern California. "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable causes of this accident were the following actions by Carson Helicopters: 1) the intentional understatement of the helicopter's empty weight, 2) the alteration of the power available chart to exaggerate the helicopter's lift capability, and 3) the practice of using unapproved above-minimum specification torque in performance calculations that, collectively, resulted in the pilots relying on performance calculations that significantly overestimated the helicopter's load-carrying capacity and did not provide an adequate performance margin for a successful takeoff; and insufficient oversight by the USFS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)."https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR1006.aspx. Most can imagine that it was financially motivated since the large funding that is utilized for fire season. The former vice president was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison for his involvement in this crash. When ethics isn't applied to the performance of maintenance correctly catastrophic effects can occur. Take for instance N2969 flight 101,"The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the in-flight failure and separation of the right wing during normal flight, which resulted from (1) the failure of the Chalk’s Ocean Airways maintenance program to identify and properly repair fatigue cracks in the right wing and (2) the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to detect and correct deficiencies in the company’s maintenance program" https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR0704.aspx. The ethical decision of doing the right thing in aviation can be a life or death choice. I have seen it many times over the years and I attribute decisions that are made by greed or laziness eventually lead to people death. The greed of lying on performance charts and weight balance to be able to attain fire or contracts or to technicians pencil whipping inspections they don't want to do.